RAE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I am 11 years into retirement now. It's been an adventure. It took a little while (few months, maybe) to adjust to a new life - this one not involving getting up super-early and rushing around to try to get everything done. After that, I was asked to join several volunteer organizations (related to the work I did during my career), and I accepted about three of those requests. That (and a variety of other things) kept me plenty busy for several years.......actually too busy. I eventually phased out of all three organizations, and had more free time (briefly), which was nice. Then, life took a few different turns, and I got very busy again. The new challenges involved mostly family stuff (buying a house for DD when she and her two boys moved near us, spending a year fixing it up, then helping her clear it out and sell the house a few years later, when she started a new relationship and ended up moving away). Shortly after that, DW and I were in Florida for the winter (renting), and a house near us down there came up for sale at a very good price. We had to make a quick decision, and ended up buying the place (it needed some work, but had a lot of potential). So........we have spent a good part of the last two years fixing up that place, and it is in nice shape now. That brings me to the present, and I have no idea what will happen next! I guess the point of this is that life has its unexpected twists and turns, but in the end it's all good, as long as everyone is in good health. You can plan your retirement to some extent, but unexpected things will always happen, and it's okay.